The Discursive Space of Modern Japan

Abstract

The word Showa and discourse concerning the Showa period suddenly began to proliferate in the summer of 1987, when news of the emperor's illness spread. By the beginning of 1989, after so many recountings of "the End of Showa," Showa ended. Once it had ended, it became apparent that a "Showa period" had existed, and its historical review could begin. What are the implications of periodizing history according to era names? Since the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japanese era names have functioned as "one reign, one name," but prior to Meiji, they were changed frequently. The reasons for change included favorable omens and natural disasters; in addition, some changes were tied to specific years in the sexagenarian cycle, according to divination theory. In other words, the change of